Seed or potato planter.



Patented May 13, I902.

C. H. GERLING.

SEED OR POTATO PLANTEBL.

(Application filed Man. 11, 1902.)

2 Shaets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

by y

No. 700,030. Patented May I3, 1002.

SEED 0B POTATO PLANTER.

' (Application filed Mar. 11, 1902.) V IMN BL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

WW 0.0M W61 8.15:

UNITED STATESJPATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. GERLING, OF EDYVARDSVILLE, ILLINOIS.

SEVIED OR POTATO PLANTER.

SEEGIFIGATION forming part of LettersiP atent No. 700,030, dated May 13, 1902.

i i Application filed March 11, 1902. Serial No. 97,782. (No model.) i

To aZZ whom, iv ntay concern;

of the city of Edwardsville, Madison county,

State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in 'Seed or Potato j Planters, of which the following is a full,clear,

and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

planters; and it consists-of the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of 3 parts hereinafter shown, described, and v claimed.

a dropper which will handle potatoes and the like without clogging and without injury to the seed; and my invention consists of the 1 combination, with a suitable framework hav- 1 ing traction drive-wheels and having a furrow-opener and a seed-coverer, of a hopper, a seed-wheel mounted adjacent to the hopper I for oscillation and'having pockets to receive the seed from the hopper, acrank-shaft connected to the drive-wheel, a crank-pin upon the seed-wheel a connecting-rod connecting the crank-shaft pin to the seed-wheel crankpin, the crank-pin bearing in one end of the connecting-rod being slotted to make a j erking motion and so that as the crank-shaft r tates the seed-wheel is oscillated to take seed from said hopper into said pockets and throw the seed upwardly and outwardly in both di-.

rections, and conveyors to receive said seed and carry it to the furrow behind said furrowopener.

Figure l is a View in perspective of a seedplanter embodying the principles of my invention. hopper and seed-wheel. Fig. 3 is a view in perspective showing the crank shaft, the

Fig. 2 is a cross-section through the seed-wheel, and the connecting-rod connecting the crank-shaft to the seed-wheel. Fig.

4 is a front elevation of the seed-wheel'with,

the adjustable plates removed. Fig. 5 isa View analogous to Fig. 4 with the adjustable plates replaced. Fig. 6 is a viewjn elevation of a guide-plate forming 'part'pfthe hopper. Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of one of the adjustable plates used in regulating the size of the pockets in the seed-wheel.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the

into-slots, as shown in Fig. 5.

I framework 10 is mounted upon the traction Be it known that I, CHARLES H.- GERLING,

drive-wheels 11 and carries the furrow-openers 12 and the seed-coverers 13. The seedwheels let are mounted to oscillate upon the pivots 15 and have pockets 16 and 17 to 'receive the seed. The hopper 18 is mounted adjacent the seed-wheel and leads to the pockets 16 and 17. The crank-shaft 20 is mounted in the frame, and a sprocket-chain 21 connects a sprocket-wheel 22 upon the crankshaft to a similar sprocket-Wheel 23 upon the axle, as required to drive the crank-shaft from the traction drive-wheels. A connect- 7 f ing-rod 24 connects the crank-pin 25, carried My object is to construct a seed-planter with by thecrank-shaft 20,to the crank-pin 26, carried by the seed-Wheel, and the bearing 27 in one end of the connecting-rod 24 is slotted to provide a jerky motion, The distance between the crank-pin 26 and the center is greater than the distance between the crankpin and the center of the crank-shaft, so that as the crank-shaft rotates the seed-wheel is oscillated. The seed-wheel 14 is a circular wooden disk having notches cut from its periphery substantially ninety degrees apart, as shown in Fig. 4, and said notches are cut at an angle of about forty-five degrees relative to the face of the wheel, as shown in Fig. 2.

The adjustable plates are made of thin tempered steel possessing resilient qualities bent into the form shown and adjustably mounted The size of the pockets16 and 17 may be regulated by ad- 'justingthese plates in or out.

As the crank-shaft 2O revolves the seed wheel-is'oscillated through an arc of about ninety degrees. When the pocket 16 is on a level with the center, as shown in Fig. 5, the pocket '17 is vertically beneath the center,

and when the seed-wheel is oscillated in the other direction the pocket 16 is vertically belowthe center and the pocket 17 is upon the .opposite side of the center from the position of the pocket 16 in Fig. 5.

Whenthe pocket 17 is in a vertical position, it receives a potato or other seed from the hopper 18, and when it is jerked to a horizontal position the seed is thrown upwardly andoutwardly into the conveyors 29 in front of the seed-wheels, and when the motion is reversed the seed is taken into the pocket 16 and thrown upwardly and outwardly into the conveyors 3O at the rear of the seed-wheels, and the seed passes downwardly through said conveyors to the furrows behind the furrow-openers 12.

Heretofore there has been great difficulty in dropping potatoes and the like from a hopper mechanically, due to the fact that the seed is liable to clog in the outlet of the hopper and either stop flowing or the device which measures the seeds will cut and injure the seeds. The seed-wheel 14: starts with an upward motion, and when the pocket is filled with seed the surplus is forced upwardly and backwardly into the hopper, the seed being held in the hopper only by the force of gravity, whereas if the seed was taken from the hopper with a downward motion the surplus could not recede into the hopper and must be cut and bruised. The success of my invention depends upon the principle of taking the seed from the hopper with an upward motion, which allows the surplus to overcome the force of gravity and pass backwardly and upwardly into the hopper.

If it is desired to drop the seed from the conveyers 29 and 30 at regularly-spaced distances, an ordinary check-rower may be attached to control and regulate the passage of the seeds from the conveyers.

I claim- 1. The combination with a suitable framework having traction drive-wheels, of a hopper; a seed-wheel mounted adjacent to the hopper and having pockets to receive the seed from the hopper; and a crank connection between the seed-wheel and the drive-wheels whereby the seed-wheel is oscillated to take the seed into the said pockets and throw it upwardly; substantially as specified.

2. In a seed-planter, a suitable hopper; a seed-wheel mounted adjacent to the hopper and having pockets to receive the-seed from the hopper; and, means for oscillating the seed-wheel to take seed into said pockets and throw it upwardly and outwardly; substantiall y as specified.

3. In a seed-planter, a seed-wheel mounted for oscillation upon a pivot and having pockets below the pivot; means for conducting the seed to said pockets; and means for oscillating the seed -wheel to throw the seed upwardly; substantially as specified.

4. A seed-planter comprising the combination with a suitable framework having traction drive-wheels and having a furrow-opener and a seed-coverer, of a hopper; a seed-wheel mounted adjacent to the hopper and having pockets to receive the seed from the hopper; a crank-shaft connected to the drive-wheels; a crank-pin upon the seed-wheel; a connecting-rod connecting the crank-shaft pin to the seed-wheel crank-pin, the crank-pin bearing in one end of the connecting-rod being slotted to give a jerky motion so that as the crank-shaft rotates the seed-wheel is oscillated to take seed from said hopper into said pockets and throw it upwardly and outwardly in both directions; and conveyers to receive said seed and carry it to the furrow behind said furrow-opener; substantiallyas specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHAS. II. GERLING.

Witnesses:

Tnos. WILLIAMSON, FRANCES E. BROWN. 

